The Last Laugh
by xXStarSightsXx
Summary: He wanted to prove the point that everyone deep down was just like him. It simply had to be surfaced for all to see. Pauline Daviere was going to be the shining example of his theory. (Joker & OC - Not Romance.)
1. Chapter 1

Small rays of light peaked through the windows blinds. A large and bulky police officer looks out through the gaps, getting a quick view of the outside environment. He sighs and turns back around to look at his daughter, who was currently busy doodling on her notepad. "Pauline," he says her name in a low and stern tone, trying to get her attention.

Her reaction was quick as lightening, she slammed her book shut and instantly straightened herself in her father's presence. He can't help but smile at his daughter's quirkiness. "I didn't call you here just for you to mess around, sweetheart. I need to speak with you on something."

She nods, crossing her legs and sticking out her bottom lip, "if it's about my gun, then yes, I'm still carrying it around and keeping safe, dad." Her dad pauses for a moment, "good girl."

"Is that all you wanted to discuss? I need to get ready for work." He raised his hands in a surrender kind of way, "hey, calm down, it's not just about that. This is far more important."

She leans in, waiting for his explanation, "I don't know if you've heard yet, but-" he opened his drawer and pulled out a folded up newspaper and throws it onto his coffee stained desk. "I'll just let the headline do the talking."

Pauline frowns and hops off her chair, strolling closer to the desk and leaning onto it. Her eyes move across the page, reading the title. She frowns with a look of disgust. "The Joker got out again?" she grimaced. Her father nodded and she huffed. "Ugh, how the hell does the creep keep on escaping? The security surely can't be _that_ shit, can it?" Her father's expression says it all and she shakes her head.

"It's the Joker, he tends to always find his way out," he grunts, slumping back into his old chair. She rubs her eyes in frustration before puffing out through her nose. "Anyway, is that all you needed to let me know?" Her father's brows furrowed, "you seem to be taking this quite lightly, Pauline, it's a serious issue."

She turns away from him to look at his shelf, she runs her fingers over a few of his items, "I'm not taking it lightly, dad, I'm just not surprised anymore. Like you said, he tends to always find his way out."

Her father takes off his cap and runs his hands through his short, dark hair. "Honey, you get distracted too easily," he mumbles, gently leading her away from the shelf and towards his desk by her shoulders.

She takes a seat on the chair and plays with a strand of her long ashy brown hair. "Did you also want to tell me to be more careful now that the Jokers out?" Her dad gives his head one last scratch before placing his police cap back on, "well, yes, now that you've moved out on your own, I want to make sure you're doing okay and staying safe." She can't help but giggle at her father, it was just so cute, seeing this huge and intimidating dude act so protective and soft. She really appreciated the fact he always cared so much.

"Dad, I know you're looking out for me, but honestly. What's the chance of me running into the Joker?" She chuckles, embracing her tall dad in a tight hug. He leans down slightly and hugs her back. "I know, but I worry a lot. Especially when this place is crawling with criminals and freaks."

She pulls away and pecks him on the cheek, "you don't have to worry about me, I'm a tough girl, and you should worry about yourself a bit more." Her dads face softens as she starts peaking again. "Criminals are probably more interested in going after you, you're a cop, they hate you."

He nods in agreement before moving back behind his desk and taking a long sip of his warm coffee. "Thanks sweetheart, but your old man's tough as well, I can handle myself." She gives him a sweet smile and grabs her bag from the ground. "I'm sure you can, dad. Anyway, I gotta get going or I'll be late for work."

"Okay honey, you gonna come over for dinner tonight with Finn? Your mother is cooking spaghetti." She shakes her head, "I don't think I can tonight, too busy with studying, but I'll let you know if I can make it." Her father sighs and nods in disappointment.

"Well, I'll see you later, sweetheart, take care of yourself and stay safe," she gives him a thumbs up while heaving her bag strap onto her small shoulder. "I will, daddio. Don't worry, love you."

She gives one last wave goodbye before making her way out of the office and into a long hallway.

Her footsteps echo against the walls as she rushes towards the main entrance. A few officers in the hallway give her nods or waves, knowing that she was the daughter of one of the police.

"Where are you rushing off to?" A familiar voice grasps her attention. "Finn, I'm in a rush," she mumbles to her brother who was leaning in the hallway with a coffee. He rolls his hazel eyes and grins, ruffling her hair as she walks past him. "You going to Mom and dad's tonight?" He asks. She quickly spins around and shakes her head, "I don't think I can, sorry."

Finn's eyes suddenly widen and he snaps his fingers, running after Pauline. "I forgot to tell you, I finally made it out of training, I'm officially part of the police force now." She stops and turns to him with a smirk, "see? I knew you'd get in." He gives a large and proud grin, straightening his brand new badge.

She quickly checks her watch and curses under her breath, "I gotta get going, dude, I'm gonna be super late."

"Ah, okay. See ya!"

Pauline jogs out of the hallway and finds the exit, she speeds her way out, trying to avoid any conversations that would hold her back.

She finds her car parked out on the street and jumps in, she fumbles with her keys and quickly starts up the vehicle. She knew if she was late, her boss would kick her ass. With that thought in mind, she drives from her parking spot and into the heavy traffic ahead.

"I'm so sorry I didn't get here earlier, Mrs Stacey," she apologises genuinely to her manager. She was an older woman, probably late forties. She had sharp features and a long face, making her look somewhat intimidating and scary.

The woman rubs her pointy chin and mumbles something Pauline couldn't pick up. "I'll let you off this time, just make sure it doesn't happen again," Pauline's face brightens and she thanks the manager before dashing for the change rooms.

After changing into her simple waitress outfit, she moves to the front of the café, waiting for any new customers.

"Fuckin' ridiculous, isn't it?" A rough voice says behind her, Pauline raises one brow and makes her way over to Jenna, her foul-mouthed co-worker.

Pauline stands next to her and looks in the direction she's facing. The News reporters were talking about the Joker's escape. Pauline felt shivers on her skin as a photo of him popped up on the screen. "Hm, yeah I heard about it this morning," Pauline starts, "They really need to do some work on their shitty security job. It's so stupid how easy it is for these big criminals to escape."

Jenna was about to reply until a sharp voice hissed at them, "ladies, no chatting, get back to work!" Mrs Stacy snapped lowly at them before going into the back. Jenna cracks her knuckles with a snarl, "nasty old cow…" she grumbles.

Pauline shrugs and spots a few customers making their way in. She nudges Jenna, "I'll talk in a second, just let me get their order," Jenna dips her head and makes her way to the counter. Pauline moves to serve the new customers, with the Joker still on her mind.


	2. Chapter 2: The Start of Something Bad

_(Just in case there's any confusion on why Pauline's mother is calling her bella, bella = Beautiful in Italian ^_^)_  
_

Pauline huddles her bag close to her shivering body as she walks out from the café. She finished her shift and had stayed back to chat with Jenna. It was late and the streets were empty, so she wanted to get in her car and drive home as quick as possible.

She can't help but look around and constantly check her surroundings. Her father voice started playing in her head, all of the times he continuously told her to stay safe.

The hairs on the back of her neck rise as she stands at the back of the building in an alleyway. It was eerie and dark, the only light was a cheap bulb next to the exit door. She had to get to the employee's parking lot, but she could only get there through the alleyway.

"Fuck sakes…" She murmurs to herself before cautiously stepping forward, her sneakers splashing against the large puddles on the ground.

She makes a quick dash across the alleyway down into another one, but thankfully the end on that one lead to the parking lot.

Before she goes any deeper, she stops and checks her surroundings, making sure no was around or trying to follow her. She grabs her phone and puts the torch on for some light to give her more comfort.

When she reached the carpark, she let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding. Her wary steps become rushed as she makes her way to her car. She smiles at the thought of getting snuggled up in bed on this cold winter night, but she pauses and thinks. She checks the time on her phone, it read 7:45 pm.

She sighs, remembering she hasn't even had dinner yet. She desperately wanted to go to her parent's and have dinner there, but she needed to study and help Sam on her project.

Pauline is ripped away from her thoughts as she hears the sharp noise of car tires screeching against the concrete road. She covers her ears and looks in the direction of the horrid sound.

Her eyes widen in immediate fear. There was a large white van turning aggressively onto the road that leads into the car park. The car park she was in. But that wasn't what scared her. In the van there were two men in the front seats, both of them were wearing disturbing clown masks that were in over exaggerated expressions.

Pauline bites her lip and looks to her car and back at the van. These men looked dangerous and they would definitely see her if she were to run to her car.

She quickly ducks behind another vehicle close by as the van messily parks in a random spot. Pauline puts a hand on her chest, feeling her heart hammer against her ribcage. There was a terrifying silence until a door opens, she hears two people get out. But to add more to her fear, she hears the sliding of another door and even more people getting out. If someone were to see her somehow, she was screwed.

"What time's he getting' here boss?" A loud voice asks, Pauline freezes. "Well, he did say around… eleven I think- _ah_ , but what's wrong with getting a bit earlier, huh?"

Pauline wanted to jump off a building right there, there was no way she would wait another four or five hours for these guys to leave. She frowns and chews on her nails, she looks over to her car. It wasn't too far, but it far enough that she would have to run to get to it quickly.

She picks at her nails and taps her feet nervously, trying to make a decision.

"Do you hear that sound, boss?"

That sentence, right there, made her blood freeze. Pauline stops her feet from moving and holds a hand over her mouth and nose. She wanted to slap herself for being so stupid. Out of fear they would come looking, she gets an idea.

She quietly rummages through her bag and finds a small, empty mint canister.

"You know… I think I might've heard a little… _Something_ ," A chilling voice speaks up. Pauline waits a few seconds before hurling the tin to her right, hoping it would create enough noise to get the men's attention.

It falls to the ground, not very loud, but loud enough for them to hear. "Boss, I heard somethin' over there!" One whacky voice calls out.

Pauline suddenly shoves herself up from the ground and is suddenly in a sprint for her car. She rips her keys from her pocket and slams against her car door, shoving her key into the door and unlocking it. Then falls in and slams the key in the ignition.

She's panting as she pulls out of the parking space and racing out of the parking lot, not caring about how fast she was going.

Pauline lets out a sudden shriek as the booming noise of a gunshot hits her ears. Luckily it didn't hit her or her car.

The men watch as the car drives away, "boss, should we go after her, what if she was a spy or somethin'?"

The man holding the gun slowly lowers it and swings around to face his gang. "Boys, boys, boys, I can assure you that was a civilian. A real spy would never be so-ah… _Messy,_ with their escape." He assures the men.

He rubs his chin thoughtfully, "you know what, boys, while our _frien_ ** _d_** takes his time getting here, why don't we have a little fun elsewhere?"

His masked men look at each other in interest. He gives them a grin, flashing his disgustingly yellow teeth. "Trust me, you'll enjoy. It involves a little- _ahhh_ , **kidnapping**."

Pauline slams her front door shut, making sure to lock it immediately after. She rubs her face and slowly slides down the door. Although she wasn't followed or harmed, she couldn't calm to fear that continued to course through her.

She lets out a shaky breath and gets back on her feet. Suddenly, her phone begins buzzing in the pocket of her coat. She answers and tries to control her panicked breathing. "Hi ma," she greets her mother through the phone with a forced smile. "Ciao, Sweetheart, are you home already?"

"Yes, ma. I just got back, do you want me to come over for dinner?"

"No, bella, we're going to arrange for another night. Your father had to work late." Pauline was a bit relieved, there was no way she would be able to drive with the current state she was in.

"That's okay, ma, maybe Friday instead?"

"Yes, probably, I'll see how things go. Anyway, you sound tired, I'll let you get some rest, bella."

"Thanks, ma, sleep well, love you."

"Love you too, sweetheart. Ciao"

Pauline hangs up, it was hard for her to not burst out and start explaining the whole clown thing that just happened. But then her mother would probably have a heart attack and call up the whole military.

The young woman saunters to her room sleeping and falls against the soft covers of her bed. It was so hard to not fall asleep right then and there. But she still had to help her friend with a project.

She rolls onto her back and rings Sam while grabbing her laptop from her nightstand. The phone rings a few times before Sam's low and relaxed voice answers. _"Heh, I was wondering you'd call."_

"Yeah I'm sorry, I meant to call earlier, but uh, stuff happened and I got busy."

 _"Nah, don't worry about it, dude. It's all good, I really need help with this thing."_

Pauline rolls off her bed and towards her desk, carrying the laptop with her. "Sure, explain away."

After helping out Sam and studying, Pauline was finally snuggled in bed and fast asleep. She laid on her soft pillow with thick blankets wrapped around her warm body. Her ashy hair was sprawled out around her bed while she slept.

But then, she is rudely snatched away from her slumber by four loud knocks from her front door. When Pauline snapped awake, she couldn't decide whether to be scared or pissed off. As she grumpily gets out of bed, her minds drifts back to the events that occurred earlier. She decided on being scared.

She grabs a metal rod from under her bed that she keeps to defend herself if anyone tried breaking in.

She quietly approaches the door and looks through the peek-hole. On the outside were two police officers. She quickly opens the door, making sure to throw the pole on her couch so they didn't think she was going to attack them. There were two cops there, one middle-aged and the other much younger.

"Hello, Ms Daviere, we're sorry to disrupt you at this time."

She rubs her eyes a gives them a smile, "don't worry about it."

Her smile falters as the officers look at each other nervously. "What's wrong?" She almost whispers. The older looking officer removes his cap and looks down at Pauline sympathetically. Now her smile was completely gone.

"We're sorry to inform you this, ma'am, but your father and two other officers have been reported as missing after taking a call."

At his words, Pauline felt like her whole world was crashing down. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning of her destruction.


	3. Chapter 3: Control

An hour had passed, Pauline sat on the steps of her front porch, eyes red and face tear-stained. The police finished questioning her and had left with their condolences. They reassured her they would find him, she hoped they would be truthful to their promises. Pauline couldn't get herself to move, not even the cold air could force her back inside. She simply sat there, staring off into the distance, still attempting to process the disturbing information given to her.

Not even the sound of footsteps approaching her could remove her from her thoughts. She doesn't flinch as someone sits down next to her. "You okay, Pauline?" Her brother's voice whispers to her. She finally moves to look at him and begins sobbing, seeing her father through her brother's similar appearance.

She grabs his shoulders and pulls him into a warm embrace, leaving his shirt wet with tears. He rubbed her back comfortingly, trying to calm down his emotionally-wrecked sibling.

"Don't worry, we'll get him back," he whispers to her, rocking her gently. He pulls away and softly ruffles her messy hair. "You get some rest, I'll call you tomorrow." Pauline nods, wiping her damp face and slowly standing. Her brother holds her shoulder and smiles, trying to soothe her. She weakly beams back before turning back and heading into her warm home.

She didn't make it far though, as soon as the door closed, she slid down and begun wailing into her hands.

It was a nightmare, an absolute nightmare. One of her biggest fears came true and it was only going to get much worse from here.

That morning, Pauline slept in way longer than she usually would. Her eyes continued to sting from all the crying the previous night. She even stayed in bed longer than normal, too saddened to even flinch.

She checks the time on her clock, it was almost twelve. She doesn't even bother to groan in annoyance. She finally manages to budge, pulling her tired body up from her sleeping position and sitting up. The bed creaks and she readjusts herself.

Pauline looks over at her phone, which she didn't even realize was ringing. She stares down at the flashing screen, debating whether to answer or not. It was her friend, Sam. Pauline sighs and reaches down, pressing the answer button before bringing the phone next to her ear.

"Hi," she answers with a dull tone.

 _"Pauline, holy shit, are you okay? I heard about what happened, can I come over?"_

Pauline hums, thinking if she should let Sam come over or not. She quickly decides that it might be best to not isolate herself and become depressed. She should stay optimistic, they'll find her father.

"Sure, come on over,"

The multiple rushed knocks on the door indicated Sam's arrival. Pauline quickly moves to open it with a huff. As she pulls the door, two arms reach out and wrap themselves around Pauline, almost causing her to fall over.

Pauline slowly wraps her arms back around the tall blonde embracing her. "I'm so sorry about what happened. Finn told me this morning," she explained, gently pulling away but still holding the shorter girl.

"Thanks for coming over, I need someone to talk to after all of this," Pauline beams happily, although the smile still held sadness. "Anytime, babe."

The two friends sit down in the lounge room, the TV playing in the background. "How have you and Finn been doing?" Pauline asks. Sam grins and lays herself down, "he's such a sweetheart, I love him. We're gonna try and move in together. That is if my parents let me."

Pauline claps her hands, trying to be enthusiastic in her shitty mood, "that's great, Sam, I remember how shocked I was when you first told me you two were going out. It's good to hear everything's going well."

Sam's eyelids lowered a slight bit, creating a flirty expression. "So, Pauline, you got yourself a boy-toy yet?" Pauline shakes her head and looks away with little interest in the topic. "I don't care about that." Sam's smile falters and she looks away, "sorry."

Pauline nods before watching the TV, Sam speaks up again. "Anyway, in more important business, do the police have any idea what happened to your father?" Pauline shakes her head, "no, all they know is he got a call ith two other officers. That was when they went missing."

Sam chews on her lip before reaching for the remote controller. "Let's see if there's anything on the news about it." Pauline nods and faces the screen, "the cops did say something about watching the news."

Sam skimmed through the many channels before landing on the main news channel. The female reporter was currently talking about a different topic. Pauline leaned forward, waiting for her to discuss the next topic.

 _"Coming up next, three police officers have been reported as missing after taking a call late last night, we have the story here."_

 _"Late last night three police officers went missing after getting an emergency call. But when they arrived at the sight, they had mysteriously vanished."_

The woman cleared her throat, an anxious expression on her face. _"We now have some pictures to show from the crime scene, viewer's discretion is advised."_

Pauline bites her lip nervously, tapping her foot and picking away at her nails.

A slideshow started going through multiple pictures, Pauline felt her heart sink as each photo passes through. The first picture was of a small cottage that looked to be abandoned. Then it showed pictures of the inside.

There were blood splatters on the walls and floor, which was also scattered with bullets and deadly weapons.

All of the fear bottled up inside of Pauline suddenly turned into a relentless rage.

She grits her teeth and stands from the couch, Sam eyes her with a worried look. "Pauline-" she starts, only to be quickly interrupted.

"Sam, If I don't get out of here right now, I'm gonna fucking bash something!" She snaps, stomping towards the back door and slamming it open. Pauline crouches, hands in her hair and eyes glued shut, trying her best to not scream and start attacking anything that was around her. She felt sick beyond words, her stomach felt like it was flipping.

Her mind goes into a dark place as she thinks of the person who did this. What kind of a sick bastard would do this!? Pauline can't help but let her eyes build with frustrated tears as she struggles to calm herself down.

A hand is placed on her back and starts rubbing up and down soothingly. "Sam, please, I think you should go," she whispers, her voice breaking.

Pauline hears Sam sigh heavily and the hand is soon removed from her back. "I'm sorry, Pauline, I shouldn't have come over," she mumbles the apology. "I'll… Talk to you soon."

And with that, Pauline was left alone.

It felt like an eternity, Pauline was curled up in bed, trying to sleep. No matter how long she kept her eyes closed, she couldn't drift off. Her mind just wouldn't stop racing with hundreds of thoughts. She felt sick and there was nothing she could do about it.

The same thought popped into her head for the millionth time, who was responsible for her father's disappearance?

With that, her eyes snapped open and she sat up. That thought alone motivated her out of bed. She throws her blankets off herself and stands, grabbing some clothes that hung out of her drawer.

She ripped away her pyjamas and pulled on a simple blue sweater and black tights. She was going to help find her father, even if she had to do it alone. She grabs her bag and heaves it onto her shoulder while piling a few items she may need inside. She shoves her bedroom door open and marches down the hallway with a determined expression.

As she reaches out to grab her phone from the benchtop, it buzzes. She turns her attention to the device and lifts it closer to her face, reading the notification.

 _'PRIVATE NUMBER - 1 MESSAGE'_

She rolls her eyes and goes to check the message, just so the phone doesn't keep on reminding her about it.

As she views the message, her eyes widen in shock.

 _'Missing daddy, are we, sweetie?'_

The mocking note reads. Pauline stares at the sentence, reading it over and over, her brain unable to even process it.

"What the fuck?" She mumbles to herself, a scowl settling on her features. Her fingers quickly begin typing on the keyboard, writing back her first response.

 _'Who the hell is this?'_

Pauline feels herself flinch back when the sender replies back much quicker than she thought they would.

 _'Where's the fun in ruining the surprise?'_

They sent another one straight after.

 _'Do you like surprises, Pauline?'_

Her heart sinks into her stomach at that message, terrified that this person knew her name.  
Pauline calls the messenger, wanting to desperately give the dickhead a piece of her mind. The phone gives a few annoying beeps and rings, waiting for the other line to pick up.

She grits her teeth when the mystery person surprisingly picks up her call.

"Listen here, I don't know who the hell you think you are, but I suggest you bloody piss of before I _really_ lay into you."

The person stays silent, she frowns, and presses the phone harder against her ear. "You better answer me, I don't appreciate you taking lightly on what happened with my father. How fucking dare you!?"

She gasps when the person hangs up on her, the phone buzzes again. A back and forth starts between the two.

 _'Nasty language, Pauline, your daddy taught you better than that!'_

 _'You piece of shit. Who are you and what do you know about my dad?'_

 _'Many things, sweetie, many things.'_

 _'You better not have anything to do with what happened to him, I swear to God.'_

 _'Don't bother, he won't hear you.'_

 _'If this is some kind of prank, you must really be one sick and twisted fuck in the head to find it amusing.'_

 _'Thank you, and no pranks here. Just a fun little game I want to play, just with you.'_

Pauline pauses her typing and begins taking screenshots of the messages between them. The phone vibrates again and she goes to check the next message.

 _'I wouldn't call the police if I were you…'_

Pauline glares at a small loading symbol that appeared on the bottom of the screen. Soon, it completely sends through. It was an audio clip. Pauline chews on her lip, a sudden rush of nervousness coursing through her.

The clips plays and starts off with a loud and fuzzy noise, making Pauline flinch from the sound. She leans in, anticipating what would play.

A short scream rips from her throat, her fright causing her to drop her phone. As she was leaning in and concentrating, there was a very sudden series of loud gunshots and muffled screaming. Other than the audio that continued to play, the only sound she could hear was the sound of her heart ramming against her chest viciously. She balls up one hand and holds it against her chest, panting in terror.

The clip pauses, indicating its end. Pauline grinded her teeth, eyes wide as she continued to stare at the screen. She hears the familiar buzz again, the sick freak had sent another message.

She bends down and reaches out to grab her phone with her shaking hand. She mumbles a curse under her breath as she fumbles with holding her phone properly.

 _'Enjoyyyy? I hope so. I also hope this will make sure you don't get any coppers involved, sweetie. Wouldn't want dearie dad getting hurt, right?'_

At that moment, Pauline wouldn't be surprised if she ended up breaking her own teeth with how hard she was clenching them. The idea that this person had her father held as hostage and was threatening his life, enraged her.

She was about to write something awful back to them, calling them every single vile word in existence. But she stops and thinks. Anything she says to this person, could be used against or on her father. Her vengeful expression softened and she sighs, running her hand through her hair in frustration.

Fearing anything nasty she would say would be taken out on her dad, she deletes the message she had written out.

 _'Please, I don't know what you want, but please don't hurt him. I won't tell the police, I promise.'_

They reply rather quickly.

 _'Ah, good girlll. I'm glad we came to an understanding. Now, for the next stage. Soon, I will be sending you the locations to your father, my dear. Then, we can have a grand ol' meeting.'_

The mystery person replied one last time.

 _'Now, go get some rest, sweetie. I know you're very eager to find pops, but you'll have to wait a tad bit longer for that to happen. Listen to my instructions and no one will get hurt… Except you.'_

With that, the person stops texting. Leaving Pauline feeling more lost, alone and terrified than ever.


End file.
